In May, 1776, Brigadier General Henry Knox, Chief of Artillery, proposed plans for a military school for the new government, Colonel Alexander Hamilton seconded them and on October 1, 1776, upon the recommendation of General George Washington, the Continental Congress passed a resolution appointing a committee to prepare a plan for “a Military Academy at the Army” which was followed by the law of June 20, 1777, that provided for a “Corps of Invalids” to serve as a military school for young gentlemen previous to their appointment to marching regiments. This corps was organized the next month in Philadelphia, Penn.
The occupation of West Point as a military post took place January 20, 1778, and has been continuous since then.
On March 30, 1779, the Board of War adopted regulations for the Corps of Engineers and for the Sappers and Miners: these were promulgated in Orders, July 30, 1779, by General Washington and provided for a plan of instruction to be carried into effect after approval by the Board and by the General-in-Chief. The plan contemplated lectures by engineer officers, on fortifications, mining, reconnaissance, encampments and the like, and as early as February, 1780, practical experiments in gunnery were conducted at West Point, and in 1781, at the request of Washington, the Corps of Invalids was marched from Philadelphia to West Point, where an engineer school, a laboratory, and a library had already been established in three separate buildings.
At Newburgh, N. Y., in 1783, Washington discussed with his officers the necessity of the government maintaining a military academy as a part of the regular army and as the first President of the United States he again referred to it in his message of December 3, 1793, which resulted in the law of May 9, 1794, authorizing the organization of a “Corps of Artillerists and Engineers” with two cadets to each company, thereby creating the new grade of “cadet” in our regular army. The artillerists and engineers were stationed at West Point that year and a school for the cadets was opened at once and continued until 1796 when the school buildings were destroyed by fire.
In his last message to Congress, Washington said: “The institution of a military academy is also recommended by cogent reasons. However pacific the general policy of a nation may be, it ought never to be without an adequate stock of military knowledge for emergencies. The first would impair the energy of its character, and both would hazard its safety, or expose it to greater evils when war could not be avoided. Besides that, war might not often depend upon its own choice. In proportion as the observance of pacific maxims might exempt a nation from the necessity of practicing rules of military art, ought to be its care in preserving and transmitting, by proper establishments, the knowledge of that art. Whatever argument may be drawn from particular examples superficially viewed, a thorough examination of the subject will evince that the art of war is at once comprehensive and complicated; that it demands much previous study; and that the possession of it in its most approved and perfect state is always of great moment to the security of a nation. This, therefore, ought to be a serious care of every Government; and for this purpose, an academy, where a regular course of instruction is given, is an obvious expedient, which different nations have successfully employed.”